


late-night consolation

by lagaudiere



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 14:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12322668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lagaudiere/pseuds/lagaudiere
Summary: Mako Trig is very overqualified for his job.This isn't a vanity thing. Not that Mako isn't a little vain, in certain areas, but this is just a fact. He's one of the few strati who exist outside of the direct control of the September Institute, and he's currently awake at four in the morning, making coffee.***Or, Mako is a space barista and Cass works late-night shifts at the hospital across the street





	late-night consolation

**Author's Note:**

> because everyone needs a coffee shop au where tragic galactic politics have a little less impact on the characters' lives 
> 
> thanks for reading -- i'm on tumblr @ spacesocialist

Mako Trig is very overqualified for his job.    
  
This isn't a vanity thing. Not that Mako isn't a little vain, in certain areas, but this is just a fact. He's one of the few strati who exist outside of the direct control of the September Institute, and he's currently awake at four in the morning, making coffee.

Worse than that. Constellation Coffee.    
  
"Cream?" he asks his customer, downing a shot of the expresso he made for himself to try and keep his eyes from drooping. "Sugar?"    
  
"Aren't the machines supposed to ask me that?" Cass says dubiously.    
  
Cass is... Cass is a person, who Mako doesn't actually know that much about. Cass works at the hospital across the street from Constellation Coffee and comes in every morning at four, just as tired on the opposite end of the day. They're sort of the reason Mako started coming in this early, after he ran into Cass one morning when the machines broke.    
  
Mako's primary job is to make sure the machines don't break, and fix them when they do, but if he wants health insurance he's got to put in a standard 50-hour work week. Getting through that requires numerous forms of distraction. Mako's favorite has always been having a ridiculous crush on a customer. But Paisley Moon (who, in Mako's elaborate fantasy life, was a high-powered lawyer with a heart of gold) stopped coming in, and the hours were really starting to drag until he got called in early that morning and met Cass.    
  
Bleary-eyed Cass in their long white lab coat, holding out a fistful of cash at Mako as soon as he walked through the door that night and saying, "Thank god. Can you tell these robots I just did open-heart surgery on a member of the Consolidated Technocracy? They're not very sympathetic."    
  
Fortunately for Mako, Constellation lets him come in pretty much whenever he wants, so he's adjusted his schedule. It's a good one. See Cass in the morning, plenty of time left in the day for doing things that aren't this job.    
  
"Nope," Mako says smoothly. "System's down."    
  
It isn't, and if it were he could fix it. That's how fogging works. But Mako needed an excuse to talk to Cass.   
  
If they talk, and Mako manages to somehow slip Cass his phone number, or conversely if they turn out to be an unbearable person who is no longer customer crush material, Mako can go back to sleeping until a reasonable hour.    
  
"Oh." Cass eyes the coffee Mako's holding. They still look suspicious. "Uh, I guess -- do you have sea salt?"    
  
"What, like sea salt caramel?"    
  
"I mean, if that's all you have it's fine, but we just drink it with, like. Salt." Cass coughs awkwardly. "On Apostolos."   
  
Cass is an alien fish person. Mako considers this mostly a positive, but then they haven't ordered coffee with just salt before.    
  
"Sure." Mako shuffles through the drawer behind the counter for a minute and retrieves it. "You wanna just, uh, do that yourself? I don't really know what a good salt-coffee ratio is."    
  
"Thanks," Cass says gratefully.    
  
When they reach out and take the salt shaker from Mako's hand, their fingers brush together for a moment, tired eyes meeting.    
  
Mako can't wait to tell Aria about this later.    
  
***   
  
When Mako tells Aria about this later, she informs him in a fit of giggles that he's pathetic.    
  
"Seriously," she says, going so far as to wipe a tear of laughter from her eye as they're setting up for her show. "Salt in coffee? That's not a doctor drink order, that's a serial killer drink order."    
  
Mako tries to kick her in the shin and misses. "You know I don't have to help with this."    
  
They're setting up for Aria's show in the basement room of a club. Aria's kind of vintage, likes to have physical instruments and physical amps. Mako's definitely helping the least out of their group -- Audy's a robot, and Aria's new girlfriend Jacqui is crazy buff -- but Aria's a good friend and she'll definitely still buy him pizza after the show.    
  
"Must be real cute," Jacqui says flatly.    
  
"Mako," AuDy says, pausing in plugging seven different cords into Aria's sound system. "Is it common for humans to be attracted to members of other sentient species?"    
  
Mako drops Aria's fog machine on his foot.    
  
"Nope, that's just him," Jacqui says. "Not all of us are into fins."    
  
"You are all being so species-ist right now," Mako says, balancing on one foot. "They don't have fins. I mean, I don't think so."    
  
He takes a moment to contemplate this, then shakes the mental image away. No. Cass definitely doesn't have fins.   
  
"Anyway, everyone knows Apostolosians are just gene-modded humans," Mako says. "It's not like they're a whole different life form. No offense, AuDy."    
  
"None taken," AuDy says. "I have no romantic interest in you, Mako."    
  
Mako drops the fog machine again. Aria laughs more than Mako's ever heard her laugh in his life.    
  
***   
  
Not everyone agrees on the subject of whether Apostolosians are gene-modded humans.    
  
The mesh has a lot to say about Apostolos, Atlantis-related and otherwise. They've got a pretty crazy social structure, the whole imperial family thing. Most forms of government aren't great, but at least humanity got over that one a whole bunch of generations ago. But some of the rest of it's kind of cool, the role models they base their whole society on. Mako wonders which one Cass subscribes to.    
  
He doesn't have the attention span to get super into reading about it, but he walks through the Apostolosian cities on the mesh, detailed in perfect VR. There's something about it that's more like original Earth, Earth before any of the culture changes that came with technology. Not that they don't have technology, but everything about Apostolos is about the past, how far back you go.    
  
Mako can't decide if he loves it or hates it.    
  
He's been making a study of Cass' habits when they come in for coffee; normally, this would just be for personal entertainment purposes, but he does kind of want to know what's really going on with Cass.   
  


It's because Mako recognizes some of the things Cass does. Cass always carries cash; they never swipe a card or feed any personal information into the machines at Constellation. And the only name they leave is what's written on their coffee. Just Cass. 

That's what Mako did, too, when he first left September, before he realized no one was going to come looking for him. It's the behavior of someone who’s on the run, someone who wants to make themself at least a little less traceable. 

Mako takes to making Cass’ coffee personally, because the system doesn't have the option they want. 

  
"So what's Cass short for?" Mako asks one day, casually. "Wait, don't tell me. Is it Cassius? Cassandra? No -- Castiel."    
  
Cass smiles at him. They do that a lot, even though they always look exhausted. "Second one was close," they say. "It's Cassander."    
  


“Cassander.” Mako rolls the name around in his mouth. “I like that. Very Apostolos, very sophisticated.” 

Cass takes a long drink of their coffee. “That's me.”

“I'm Mako Trig,” Mako says, tapping the name tag on his chest. “But you already knew that. Hey, you know what Mako means?”

Cass shakes their head, and Mako takes a moment to be slightly amazed that they aren't trying to leave. Their hair moves in a way that human hair doesn't, kind of like seaweed, but prettier. 

“It’s a shark,” Mako says, grinning. “I guess that's a little Apostolosian too.” 

Cass actually bites their lip, and there's a bright flash of triumph in Mako’s chest. 

“Cass?” 

“Mmm?” 

“You want a cake pop? Chocolate chip cookie dough. On the house.” 

Cass smiles again, more broadly. “Yeah. I'll take one. Thanks.”

  
***    
"This is incredibly dumb," Aria says. "I can't believe you made me come with you."    
  
Mako grins as he punches his information into the BABS system in the hospital waiting room. "Yeah, this is way dumber than the time you made me follow Jacqui into the women's room at a packed Aria Joie concert so I could give her your number. She only broke, like, three of my bones."    
  
Aria sticks her tongue out at him. "Bet you a credit you won't even get them. Aren't they a surgeon?"    
  
"I could need surgery," Mako says, and beams at Aria as she helps him hobble over to a waiting room chair.    
  
Mako didn't injure himself on purpose -- that would be dumb and self-destructive on a level he can only aspire to. But he did maybe break his ankle falling off the Ring of Saturn at like, nine a.m. on his way home from work, and he did wait twelve hours before texting Aria and asking her to take him to the emergency room.    
  
There's no guarantee Cass will be there, but hey, it's worth a shot.    
  
"Do you even have health insurance?" Aria asks him.    
  
"Yeah! I work for Constellation."    
  
"Oh." She looks sheepish. "I don't."    
  
After a few long, dragging minutes of waiting, a nursing bot calls out from across the room. "Mako Trig?" it says, pronouncing his first name wrong like they usually do. "A doctor will see you now."    
  
Shuffled off to a private, curtained-off cot, Mako adjusts his snapback and tries to see his reflection in Aria's shiny metallic jacket. "Do I look okay?"    
  
The curtain's pulled back before she has a chance to respond. "Hey there," Cass' voice says. "My name is Dr. Hippocrates--"   
  
Mako and Aria both immediately burst into laughter.    
  
"Uh." Cass laughs nervously, peering down at their clipboard. "Mako. Hi."    
  
"Dr. Hippocrates?" Mako says, having completely forgotten about his ankle and how he looks. "Come on! That can't possibly be your actual name."    
  
Cass laughs again, even more nervously. "It's, uh, it's my name. You know. I come from a family of doctors."    
  
"The family of actual Hippocrates?" Aria says disbelievingly.    
  
Cass looks over at her, apparently noticing her for the first time. Their brow furrows in confusion. "Are you Aria Joie?"    
  
Aria grins. "In the flesh."    
  
"That's right," Mako says, trying to refocus this conversation which seems likely to get very much away from him. "No holograms here. Just flesh and blood and bones and all that."    
  
"Oh." Cass looks back at him, obviously still completely lost. "Mako. What can I help you with, are you alright?"    
  
Mako rolls up the cuff of his jeans and rolls down the top of his orange sock, showing Cass his war wound. "Fell off the old hoverboard," he says. "You know, you try to do a joint trick with someone that just isn't on your level, this is what happens."    
  


What actually happened was that he was trying to watch a video Lazer Ted sent him of cats dancing to the new Joy Park jingle and missed a stop sign, but Cass doesn't need to know that. 

  
Cass smiles, going a little soft around the eyes. They've got laugh lines. It's really cute, in an old person way. "Right," they say. “That sounds like something you'd do. Well, we can get you fixed up pretty quickly."    
  
"He didn't even want to come to the emergency room," Aria chips in, while scrolling through text messages on her watch. "I practically had to drag him here."    
  
A message from Aria pops up on the mesh interface of Mako's contact lenses:  _ definitely a fake name _ .    
  
Then another one:  _ but they're maybe a seven out of ten so pretty good considering _ .    
  
Shut up, Mako thinks back, and then remembers he hasn't had the September tech that would allow him to actually send that in years.    
  
"Well," Cass says. They're prodding at Mako's ankle, gentle and focused. Tragically, it hurts enough that Mako can't really enjoy it. "It's not broken. I'm going to go ahead and apply some medigel and a splint and you should be walking normally in a couple of days."    
  
"I guess he doesn't need surgery then," Aria says.    
  
Cass raises an eyebrow at her. "Uh, no."    
  
They make pretty short work of wrapping Mako's ankle, while Aria sends a series of frankly unnecessary texts about places where Cass might have scales.    
  
When they're done, Cass writes out a prescription for some mild painkillers. "Make sure you take a rest today, Mako," they say. "I'd advise against going into work. And also hoverboarding."    
  
"I'll do my best," Mako says.    
  
Cass takes out a pen and scribbles something at the bottom of their prescription pad. "That's my number," they say. "You can call me if you need anything."    
  
"Sweet." Mako grins as he takes the note. "Thanks."    
  
Cass looks nervously over their shoulder. "I've spent more time with one patient than I should, uh... Can your friend help you out?"    
  
"Oh, I got him," Aria says breezily.    
  
Mako sneaks in a little smirk as Cass turns to walk away.    
  


“I mean it,” Cass says over their shoulder. “Be careful, kid.” 

  
Aria holds out her hand for a high five.    
  
***    
ariajoieofficial: can you guys believe that gambit worked... mako is an #icon

  
trigershark69: i knew it would 

  
jacquigreen17: mako please change ur tag 

  
trigershark69: no 

  
automateddynamicsunit17358: Are you going to call them? 

  
trigershark69: yeah when the time is right 

  
jacquigreen17: audy please change ur tag 

  
automateddynamicsunit17358: no    
  
***    
trigershark69: hey 

  
trigershark69: hey cass 

  
cassandertbp: hello mako 

  
trigershark69: i think maybe i took too many pills 

  
cassandertbp: your typing seems fine 

  
trigershark69: loll

trigershark69: i don't have to type i'm a stratus 

  
cassandertbp: you are? 

  
cassandertbp: i didn't know that 

  
cassandertbp: why do you work at a coffee shop then? 

  
cassandertbp: mako? do i need to call poison control? 

  
trigershark69: oh sorry... i'm fine

  
trigershark69: i dropped out of september but it's not a big thing. those people suck 

  
trigershark69: hey what does tbp stand for 

  
cassandertbp: i have to get back to work, I'll talk to you soon    
  
***    
Mako doesn't press the point. He's pretty sure Cass is lying about their name, but he's not sure it matters. Most people Mako knows aren't using the name they got when they were born; it's not Cass' fault that they're apparently pretty bad at changing it.

A few days after the whole hospital incident, Cass texts him a message that makes him forget the sprained ankle and bounce on his heels enough to hurt:  _ not working tonight, can meet you at Constellation at a reasonable hour to look at that ankle if you want?  _

When Mako gets there, a few minutes after the time they'd agreed to because he's cool and casual like that, Cass is sitting at a table for three with AuDy. 

“Oh, shit,” Mako mutters, hopping unsteadily off of the Ring of Saturn. 

AuDy waves as soon as Mako walks in. “Hello,” they say, disarmingly cheerful. “I've been talking with your friend Cass about our common interests. They are also a pilot.” 

Cass waves too, a smaller and less sure wave. “Hey, Mako.” 

“Heyyyyy.” Mako draws out the word into an interrogative. He punches his latte order into the console and takes the remaining chair. “What's up, AuDy, I know you're not here for the amazing coffee.” 

“I was here to ask you about a job,” AuDy says. “But we should not discuss illegal activities while your friend is here.” 

Mako groans. Cass blinks, then stares at him, eyes going wide with concern. 

“AuDy, I told you, saying that the activities are illegal is just as bad as specifying what they are.” He looks back at Cass, smiles apologetically. 

“What is going on,” Cass says blankly.

AuDy is as matter-of-fact as ever. Someday, somebody's going to kick that blunt honesty out of them, and it's probably going to be Mako. “I am a fixer. People hire me to solve their problems. Sometimes I have difficulty with encoded electronics, and I bring them to Mako. He is not damaging the social order.” They look expectantly at Mako. “May I send you the file? It’s from the September Institute.” 

Mako sighs and gives a tiny shrug that he hopes conveys some kind of reasonable reluctance to break laws to Cass. “Let’s talk about it later, okay?” 

“Okay,” AuDy says, and doesn't leave. 

“I’d like to talk to Cass in private now,” Mako says forcefully, and AuDy gets this unsubtle hint, at least, and leaves the coffee shop. 

Mako, sense of dread steadily increasing, goes to retrieve his latte.

“So,” Cass says when he returns. Mako has a chance then to really take in how they look and appreciate it. Cass isn't wearing their white lab coat, for a change; instead, it’s a battered leather jacket with a few patches, symbols Mako doesn't recognize, over casual Counterweight clothes. But there's a touch of formality, too, Cass’ long hair in a kind of circle braid around their head like a crown.

God, Mako is so screwed. 

“Not damaging the social order, huh?” Cass says, and, thank God, a corner of their mouth quirks upwards, amused. 

“I mean, they're not wrong,” Mako says. “This info’s just from really big, effed-up institutions, and AuDy has pretty good judgment about their employers. I wouldn't do it if I thought it was hurting someone. More than costing them money, I mean.” 

Cass shakes their head, faux-disapproving. “Interesting friends you have,” they say. “Top-charting pop stars and sentient, criminal robots. I feel like I should stick around to find out what's next.” 

_ This is flirting,  _ Mako thinks hopefully.  _ This has to be flirting, right?  _

“Never a dull moment with me, Doc,” he says breezily, and Cass grins. 

There are a few moments of companionable silence, each of them taking sips of their coffees, and then Mako remembers something that makes him want to break it. 

“AuDy said you were a pilot?” 

Cass grimaces slightly. “Well, when I was in the military, I did a little bit of that… I was mostly just a medic, though. They wanted everyone to learn to use a mech.” 

“The Apostolosian military?” Mako says. 

Cass scoffs at him a little. “Well, yeah.” 

“Must be kind of weird being here,” Mako says. 

They shrug. “Must be weird being a stratus who works at Consolation Coffee too.” 

“We’re quite the pair, huh?” Mako says. He grins holds Cass’ eye for a moment, and then Cass looks away. 

Mako, never one for subtlety, sticks his injured foot into Cass’ lap. “Well, let’s see how I'm doing,” he says. “Thanks for letting me skip the line.”

This time, Mako can enjoy it a lot. Cass’ hands are cool and careful, and Mako would swear they hold on longer than they strictly have to. 

“Seems like you're healing just fine,” Cass says. “Hey, Mako -- between all the hoverboarding and criminal activities, try not to get yourself hurt.”

*** 

automatedynamicsunit17358: I met Mako’s romantic interest today. I approve. 

trigershark69: god i hate you guys so much 

ariajoieofficial: have you asked them out yet getting coffee doesn't count 

trigershark69: i told you im working on it 

jacquigreen17: lol 

ariajoieofficial: aww u rly like them don't u 

trigershark69: maybe 

jacquigreen17: lol 

jacquigreen17: wait i have a really good idea 

jacquigreen17: invite them to aria’s concert 

ariajoieofficial: omg yeah!! so romantic 

trigershark69: ….. maybe 

trigershark69: they did recognize u aria 

ariajoieofficial: do it!!! 

automateddynamicsuntil17358: I agree, this is a good plan. 

trigershark69: omg ok fine

 

trigershark69: hey so cass

trigershark69: you remember my friend aria from the hospital? well she's doing a show at the light room & she said i could invite people if i want

trigershark69: most of the aria joie concerts they do now r just holograms but this the real deal w her new music n shit… just thought u might like it 

cassandertbp: yeah actually i’d love to… when? 

trigershark69: saturday at 8? i’ll send u the geotag 

cassandertbp: sounds good see you then 

***

The night of the concert, Cass meets Mako at his apartment. It's already exciting: first time they've hung out outside of the coffee shop or the hospital. Everything’s coming up Mako Trig. 

Cass is dressed simply: black jeans, V-neck tshirt and boots, hair around their shoulders. 

Mako is wearing jean shorts, a tanktop with a purple hoodie over it, light-up sneakers and his best two pairs of sunglasses, one on top of his head.

“I can't tell if I'm overdressed or underdressed for this event,” Cass says drily, surveying him.

“What, you don't go to a lot of concerts?” 

“Not this type of concert. Apparently.” 

Their words border of contemptuous, but Cass’ tons is playful and their laugh lines are showing again. Mako could really get used to that. 

“You'll love it.” 

Mako unfolds the Ring of Saturn in one smooth movement; it hovers around his feet, and he holds a hand out to Cass. “You ready to go?” 

Cass raises a single, arched eyebrow at him. “We’re not taking the lev train?” 

“We can if you wanna. But you know, this is free.”

Cass rolls their eyes with a little laugh and takes his hand, hopping up onto the board. “Do I have to put my arms around your waist?”

“It'll help.” 

Cass groans and does it, and suddenly they're pressed completely together, and Cass, who is significantly taller, rests their chin on Mako’s shoulder. “Hi,” Mako says brightly. 

“Just so you know,” Cass says, “this is the most obvious way anyone has ever hit on me.” 

Mako’s grateful Cass can't see his expression, but Cass is holding on tight, leaning against Mako in a way that feels like trust. “Is it working?” he asks, with false bravado. 

Cass’ voice is stern, but they slide their hands into the pockets of Mako’s hoodie. “Maybe. Keep trying.” 

Jacqui meets them at the door and checks off their names on a list with a knowing smirk. AuDy’s on stage setting up for Aria, and they wave, yelling across the room, “Mako! You brought your  _ friend. _ ”

They emphasize “friend” in a way that makes it clear they're very proud of this correct phrasing, and Mako groans internally. “Hey, AuDy.”

The room starts to fill up with people and with excited chatter. It’s a small place, a few small table, a bar, and some standing room, but there more people here than is typical for a much larger venue. There are no holograms allowed here, it's all real and up-close, and the audience is full of Aria’s most true fans, the ones who follow all of her movements on social media as closely as possible. A lot of them have hair dyed to match hers. 

They buy drinks during the opener, a DJ with gene-modded bat ears whose music Cass visibly hates. “Aria doesn't sound like this now, does she?” they ask dubiously. 

“Nah.” Mako’s tugging on their hand, making their way back to the front of the front of the crowd. “She's all acoustic now. You know, because she's in love.” 

“Right,” Cass smirks. “That'll do it.” 

They find a place right at the edge of the stage, a tiny table with two chairs, and Aria waves to them when she walks onstage. “Hey everybody,” she says. “Thanks so much for coming out tonight! Now I promise I'm gonna play some of the hits, but I want to start us off with something new.” 

She starts playing a song about explosions and dancing and the month of June, and Aria’s always amazing live -- she has great stage presence, even when it's just her and her guitar under a single light. But Mako doesn't watch her closely tonight. He watches Cass drum their fingers lightly against the table and lick the salt off the rim of their drink. 

When Aria starts playing a more upbeat song, Cass looks over at him and says above the music, “I’m surprised you haven't asked me to dance.” 

There are other people dancing, though mostly not in pairs, and Mako almost knocks over his own drink in his rush to stand up. “You -- I mean, you wanna?” 

Cass grins. “Yeah, I’d like that.” 

They move a little bit closer to the other dancers, like it'll help them blend in, and Mako doesn't really know how to do this except to stand a few inches apart and sway. 

“Do you know how to dance?” he asks Cass. 

They nod like it should be obvious. Cass unceremoniously sets Mako’s hands on their own shoulders and their hands on Mako’s waist. They sway with a little more rhythm. 

Mako hasn’t danced with anybody like this since -- but no, don't think about that. 

When the song ends, Mako isn't looking at the stage, but he hears Aria say, “This is a song for everybody out there on a first date tonight. We’re all rooting for you, buddy.” 

“Oh,  _ god _ ,” Cass says, and they both laugh, but the laughing draws them closer together, and, well, it's a slow song. 

When the next one starts, Cass pulls at Mako’s sleeve and gestures towards the bar. “Let’s go get more drinks,” they say loudly and unsubtly. 

Mako can feel his heartbeat in his throat. He lets Cass lead him by the hand away from the stage. 

They don't go back to the bar. Instead, Cass pulls him into the dark hallway that leads to the restrooms and the tiny kitchen, and when Cass pushes a little, Mako doesn't resist.

“Hey, Cass,” Mako says, reaching for a strand of their loose, floating hair. “Are we gonna make out now?” 

Cass raises a hand to Mako’s collarbone, presses a thumb, just slightly, into his pulse point. “Maybe,” they say. 

Mako knows the way he's smiling probably looks stupid, looks goofy, but he can’t help it. Impulsively, he puts his arms back around Cass’ neck and leans back into them like they're still dancing. 

“Good,” he says, “‘cause you know, the only reason I come in to work at four in the morning is to see you,” and Cass kisses him then. 

The way Cass kisses is -- commanding, Mako thinks, and it's maybe not what he expected but he’s definitely into it. Mako bounces up onto his heels to get closer, because Cass is too tall, and their hands are pressing into Mako’s hips, and -- 

“Mako?” AuDy’s voice says. 

_ Goddamnit _ . Mako bangs his head into the wall behind him as Cass springs away from him. “AuDy! What the hell!” 

“I was looking for you,” AuDy said. “I was hoping you would assist me after the concert.” They look between Mako and Cass, and despite their having no face to actually make an expression with, Mako swears some kind of connection clicks together. “I assume you won't be available.”

“Hi, AuDy,” Cass says weakly, and at the same time Mako says, “I won't.” 

***

They crash through the door of Mako’s apartment and Cass is immediately kissing him again, backing him up against the closest wall and almost biting at Mako’s mouth, then actually biting at his neck. 

“ _ God _ , that was a frustrating hoverboard ride,” Mako says, and Cass -- perfect Cass -- presses their whole body against his again, and finally there's no pretense in that.

Mako slides his hands under Cass’ shirt, and Cass makes a sound like they’re in pain, and presses closer.

“Mako,” they say, voice harsh. “Mako, I want to…” They make a frustrated noise and kiss Mako again, with an intensity that feels almost desperate, and Mako could get used to that. Could get lost in that. 

Cass pulls away, and the way that they look at him is almost a glare, like they don't have every part of their lithe, long-limbed body plastered to Mako’s. 

“I really like you.” The way Cass says it it's like a painful admission.

Mako laughs, a little hysterically, and springs forward to kiss Cass again, on the mouth and then on the nose and then on a tense, worried eyebrow. “That's okay, you know.” 

“Mmm,” Cass says, mostly into Mako’s hair, sounding unimpressed but reaching down to skim their fingers into the back pocket of his shorts. 

Mako gets a hand into Cass’ hair, Cass’ beautiful and perpetually frustrating hair, and holds them tight. 

In the morning, Cass makes the coffee for both of them. It's terrible. 

***

Mako resists the urge to text Cass throughout the day on Sunday. He makes their coffee before they even get there in the small hours of Monday morning, drawing a smiley face on the top in whipped cream. He hasn't felt this bouncy and optimistic serving coffee to drunk and/or exhausted people in, well, forever.

But then Cass doesn't show up at their usual time. 

Mako’s nervous at first, eyes flickering towards the door every few seconds, and then he's worried, and then he gives in and texts Cass.  _ u coming in today?  _

There's no response. Mako sits at the counter and watches the whipped cream dissolve into Cass’ gross, salty coffee. 

The thing is, if Cass isn't working, they'd definitely be sleeping right now. So Mako manages to keep up his hopes about getting a reply text throughout the rest of his shift, and then throughout the rest of the day. 

After that, though, his hope starts to flag.

And then three days go by without a response from Cass, or an appearance from them at Constellation, and then it's five days, and then a week. And that's pretty much it for hope.

Mako doesn't tell anyone how much it bothers him, not even Aria. It’d be nice, in a way, for her to sympathize, to come over with a pint of ice cream and watch dumb action movies. But it's better not to have to get that pitying look or hear her talk about how Cass never seemed that great anyway. He's just going to forget about it. It was dumb to get his hopes up in the first place.

*** 

“So no word from Dr. Hippocrates?” Aria says. 

They're at a bar with Jacqui and, despite their inability to drink liquids, AuDy. Aria’s in one of her moods where she's really happy about her relationship and trying to make sure everyone else is happy too. It's the worst.

Mako scowls. “Maybe I should just fall off the Ring of Saturn again.” 

Aria frowns sympathetically. 

“I would advise against that,” AuDy says. 

Mako flips a little bit of rolled-up paper napkin at them. “Thanks, captain.” 

Jacqui, who’s been scanning the mesh on her phone with one arm around Aria’s shoulder, looks up at Mako and coughs delicately. “Uh, Mako?” 

“Yeah?” 

Jacqui looks something between nervous and grim. She slides her phone across the table to Mako. “I think you should read this.” 

Mako glances down at it, and it's a news site, one of the less sketchy ones if that hasn't changed too radically since the last time Aria lectured him about it.  _ Radical change comes to Apostolos after assassination of leader _ , the headline says.

His eyes scan over the first few paragraphs of the story, and it seems really complicated, but the general gist is that some kid from the Apostolosian royal family murdered their parent and wants to impose a new system of government. They're replacing the old empire with some new, complicated form of meritocracy. It's really brutal, the way they do things there. At least OriCon and the Diaspora can hide it under a few layers of bullshit. 

For a moment, Mako’s heart misses a beat. Maybe Cass had to go back to their home planet, maybe there's going to be another war -- but no, that doesn't make sense, they would've sent him a message. If they cared. 

“I don't get it,” Mako says to Jacqui, trying to hand her phone back. She shakes her head and doesn't take it. 

“Look at the pictures.” 

Mako flips through a short photo slideshow, and then the fourth photo freezes him completely. It's of three figures at the state funeral for the previous Apokine. The first is tall and broad-shouldered, an expression of grim determination on their face. The second, shorter and slightly older, with a pointed, angry look. And the third -- 

Mako checks the photo caption and it's almost impossible to believe. But it's there in black and white -- these are the three siblings of the royal family. Sokrates, Euanthe, Cassander. 

“No fuckin’ way,” Mako says. 

Aria and AuDy both lean over his shoulder to look at Jacqui’s phone. “Holy shit,” Aria says. “That's  _ Cass _ ?” 

“Cassander Timaeus Berenice,” Mako reads, “the third child of House Pelagious, once expected to assume the throne, has not made any public statements since the event.” 

It makes sense now. All of it, right down to Cass’ stupid screen name. 

Across the table, Jacqui grimaces, and Mako hands her phone back in silence. 

“They look so different in that picture,” Aria says. “I mean, I never would've thought…” She trails off awkwardly, uncomfortably. 

Mako stares down at the table. “Yeah. Me neither.”

He reaches for Aria’s drink, and she slides it over. It's lemon-flavored, bitter.

“Mako,” AuDy says. “Cassander’s parent was murdered by their sibling.” 

There's almost no tone to the way they it, no real rebuke. But Mako knows exactly what it means, and what's worse, he feels it, feels nothing so much as a desire to ask Cass if they're all right, to be there to reassure them. 

“Yeah,” Mako says. “I -- I'll figure it out.” 

*** 

Fogging the BABS system at the hospital is easy. It's one of those straightforward machines that wants to give out all its information; all Mako has to do is convince it he's the guy who should have that, and it's never very hard.

He scans through the information on Cass -- listed, of course, as Cassander Hippocrates -- trying to resist the urge to be super invasion and read through all of Cass’ email. Well, maybe he could just search for his own name -- 

No. Focus. 

Cass doesn't have any listed appointments coming up; they've marked the next few days as “personal time”. Mako runs a search for the person whose signature is on that document. Koda Whitegloves. Cass’ supervisor, another obvious fake name, he thinks. 

And their schedule shows that they're working in the ER… okay, today. Right now.

Mako books at appointment and, the waiting room being empty of anyone who looks in danger of imminent death, bumps himself to the head of the queue. 

“Mako Trig?” the nearest robot says almost immediately, getting the name wrong. 

He doesn't have to wait very long for Koda Whitegloves, who is, no big surprise, another Apostlosian. That reporter friend of Aria’s should really do an expose on this. 

“Mr. Trig,” Koda says, “what seems to be bothering you?” They're a lot older than Cass and look a lot more tired. “It seems I'm missing some information from your chart.” 

“I'm looking for Cassander,” Mako says. 

Koda frowns.

“I know their real name, I know what happened and I care about them,” Mako says. “I just want to know everything's okay.” 

Koda sighs. They step into the small space of Mako’s curtained-off exam table and lower their voice. “If you know their name, you know that it isn't. I had hoped Cassander would find a home here away from that past.” 

“You knew them before?” 

“In the war.” Koda pauses. “They talk about you, you know.” 

Mako’s heart thumps painfully. “They do?” 

“Of course. It's always, Mako played me this terrible new electronic music, Mako rides a hoverboard without a helmet like a complete idiot, Mako can't make my coffee the right way no matter how many times I tell him. They adore you.” Koda shakes their head, appearing to make some decision. “I'll give you their address. Go and see them. That's all I can do.” 

Without thinking it through, Mako springs to his feet and hugs Koda, who makes an alarmed noise and gently pushes him away. “Thank you! Thank you so much. That's all I need.” 

On the way out of the hospital, he passes the gift shop, full of the obviously, fairly macabre “Sorry For Your Loss” stuffed animals and balloons. It brings him up short. Cass did lose someone, right? What's the appropriate gift in this situation? Will it be weird if he shows up with something?

Before he's even made a conscious decision, his feet carry him forward to the flowers, elaborate bouquets that are probably artificial but certainty look and feel real. He considers the roses and dandelions, but they don't feel right. What kind of flowers do they have where Cass is from? What kind of flowers would Cass like? Mako can't picture them being a big fan of flowers at all, really. What if they just think it's patronizing? 

There's a singular bouquet of water lilies sitting off to the side, and Mako figures that's as close as he's going to get. He grabs them, ignores the sad, sympathetic look from the cashier, and hopes they'll at least get him in the door.

***

Cass’ address and the bouquet of flowers are technically all the ingredients for a successful opener, but Mako has absolutely no idea what to say. 

Their apartment building is very modern, very Counterweight, all high dark metal walls. He could fog the security system and let himself into the building, but he makes himself press the button for Cass’ apartment and leans close to the speaker, hesitantly says, “Hey, Cass?” 

There's a short silence, just long enough for Mako to wonder if maybe they're not home.

“...Mako?” 

“Hey,” Mako says, with enormous relief, and then he just starts babbling. “I went to the hospital and talked to your friend Koda, and they gave me your address, I'm sorry, but I heard what happened and I just wanted to say, uh, I'm sorry.” 

There’s another silence, long enough for a lot of dread. Then the speaker buzzes and the door opens. 

Mako regrets the flowers on the third floor, but Cass is already standing outside their door, arms folded.”What are those for,” they say, in their flat way that is more judgement than question. 

Cass looks the way they did in the photo -- tired, lost -- except more. There are dark circles under their eyes and their hair is loose and disheveled. 

“I wanted you to have them,” Mako says, honestly. “I can leave if you want, but I wanted you to know, it's not… it's not any different.” 

Cass wavers for a moment, and then turns around and walks back into their apartment. “Well, come in then,” they say. 

Arms still full of flowers, Mako follows them. Cass is already going through a doorway into a side room, and Mako looks around at their surroundings. The walls are white and bare, the furniture sparse and Apostolosian. Everything is very expensive-looking and very impersonal, except for the coffee table piled high with a heap of books and an Aria Joie music cartridge.

Cass reemerges from what must be their kitchen with a simple, ceramic vase filled with water and holds out a hand silently. Mako, less and less sure what to say, hands over the flowers.

“Thanks.” Cass arranges the flowers carefully, and Mako can feel good about that, at least. 

They sit down on their sterile white couch and gesture vaguely at Mako. He feels like he’s back in the emergency room and Cass is about to deliver a terrible prognosis. Not knowing what to say, he perches on the edge of a chair across from Cass. 

“I didn't tell you,” Cass says. “Doesn't that bother you?” 

“I didn't tell you I was a stratus until I was drunk.”

“That's something you  _ do _ ,” Cass says impatiently. “It's not everything you  _ are _ .” 

Mako shakes his head. “You should ask some of the people at September about that.” 

Cass looks down at the floor. 

“I mean, I kind of figured you were lying about something,” Mako admits. “I just didn't know it was that you were, like, a princelet.” 

Their head shoots up abruptly, and they raise a scornful eyebrow. “A  _ princelet _ ?” 

“Well, I don't know what they call it on Apostolos.” 

“And you thought that seemed right?” Cass says with a kind of hysterical disbelief, and they start laughing, shoulders shaking with it. 

It shocks Mako at first, and for a moment he's worried Cass has completely snapped, but the laughter seems genuine, not hysterical. 

“God,” Cass says. “Well, you know what they call people like you where I'm from? We call you otechkus.” 

“You do  _ not _ ,” Mako says, and they're both laughing then, for a long, relief-filled moment. Even when the laughter fades away, Cass is still smiling at him faintly.

“We’re called scions,” Cass says. “Or we were. I don't know, I guess I'm not anything now.” 

“That's not true,” Mako says sharply. 

“I know it's not true like  _ that _ .” Cass sighs. “I guess l should just tell you what happened.” 

So they do, and it's an unpleasant story, a story about a family that worried too much about politics to truly understand each other, about Euanthe being injured in the way and Sokrates running away and Cassander’s ascension to the status of heir. They tell Mako about the propaganda posters of their face and the panic they'd felt at the idea of being the ruler of a whole planet. They tell him what happened when Euanthe made an unexpected recovery and they were sent away, to make things simpler for the public. They tell him about hearing secondhand that the empire has been destroyed from within. 

“So that's that,” Cass says unhappily. “And now everything's… gone.” They glare at the floor and Mako thinks that maybe, maybe they're trying not to cry. “Powerful people are going to want to use me as a pawn, Mako. I understand if you don't want…” 

“Cass,” Mako says, “I know this might be hard for you to believe, but despite the huge drawback of you being alien royalty, I still wanna hang out with you.” 

Cass’ head thumps back against the back of the couch, eyes closed. “God,” they say. “Can you just come over here?” 

“I…”

Cass opens their eyes and looks at him, solemn. “We’re fine, Mako,” they say softly. “Come here.” 

As soon as Mako is standing in front of them, Cass grabs him by the lapels of his jacket and pulls him down to kiss him. 

“Mako?” Cass says after a long moment.

“Mmm?”

“Thank you for, uh. Coming today. For caring.” They turn their face away slightly, and Mako can see the flush on their cheeks. “Most people wouldn't… you know… stick around.” 

“I told you.” Mako pushes Cass back gently until he can climb into their lap and rest his forehead against theirs. “I care about you.” 

There are several more long moments of kissing, after that. 

“Are you staying on Counterweight?” Mako asks, trailing his fingers through Cass’ hair, careful. 

“Sure.” Cass smiles a little, fondly. “AuDy and Aria are going to get you into trouble if I'm not around.” 

***

wavylazerted: hey man saw ur photos…. dude

trigershark69: ??? 

wavylazerted: DUDE 

wavylazerted: are u really getting w r o y a l t y 

wavylazerted: that apostolosian amphibian a$$

trigershark69: (: 

trigershark69: wait i just saw that last message and i hate u 

wavylazerted: mako u are the fuckin MAN… a legend

trigershark69: lol cass is just like a normal person ted 

wavylazerted: u know what they say about those fish ppl thooooooo (; (; (; (; 

trigershark69: what no i don't 

trigershark69: ted what do they say 

trigershark69: ted 

***

Mako really hopes there isn't any surveillance at Cass’ apartment, because it wouldn't have looked great when he and the rest of AuDy’s crew showed up outside the building in the Regent’s Brilliance. 

They did agree ahead of time that if any of them got hurt during the mission they could come to Cass instead of going to a hospital, because hospitals ask too many questions. Judging by the angry muttering, though, Cass is not thrilled about this outcome.

He's bleeding in Cass’ guest bedroom, now, while Jacqui stands in the doorway shaking her head at him and Aria and AuDy go through the data he’d stolen.

“I did a great job of being a spy,” he tells Cass, who is carefully applying medigel to the laser burn on his shoulder. “All you really have to do is buy people drinks.” 

“Mako,” Cass says, “how much money did you put on my credit card?”

Cass also said he could do that, because Constellation Coffee didn't give you a salary that would impress OriCon corporate gangsters. Mako was the sneakiest member of their team, due to Aria being a famous pop star, Jacqui being seven feet tall, and AuDy being a robot. He’d gotten all of the data AuDy needed, too, and he’d blended in pretty well until one of the OriCon guys got suspicious and hit him with a laser sword. 

Mako smirks, a little dizzy with medication and blood loss. “You know, just doctor money,” he says. “Not princeling money.” He leans up, trying to kiss Cass on the cheek, but Cass shoves his shoulder back down. 

“Lay down, idiot,” Cass hisses. 

“Princeling?” Jacqui says loudly. 

Cass is bandaging Mako’s wound now, and then they're just keeping their hand there. “Nothing, Jacqui!” they snap, and scowl at Mako. “I can't believe you did this. I can't believe I  _ let  _ you do this.” 

Mako looks up at them, and Cass looks so worried, and so happy to see him at the same time, and Mako really loves them. He's got to tell them that, right now. 

“Hey, Cass. Cassander. You know I love you?” 

Cass scowls even more deeply and turns again to yell at Jacqui. “Green! Would you go make sure Aria’s not eating all my pasta?” 

Jacqui smiles at them. “Sure, Doc.” 

When she leaves, Cass turns back to Mako and looks at him intensely, half angry and half something else. They lean down and press their lips, lightly, to Mako’s cheek. 

“I love you too. You're a terrible spy.” They curl their fingers into Mako’s, and he holds on tight. “Next time I’m going with you.” 


End file.
